Krafton has launched an online game and offline experiential pop-up in collaboration with Kia to celebrate the 8th anniversary of PUBG Mobile. The initiative aims to strengthen direct communication with users and expand the long-term service foundation of PUBG Mobile.
On May 21, Krafton opened PUBG Seongsu and Kia Unplugged Ground in the Seongsu area of Seoul. The concept, dubbed 'Zone 8,' combines the core element of the game, the magnetic field, with Kia's EV mobility in a collaborative project.
PUBG Mobile, launched in 2018, is Krafton's mobile adaptation of the original PC game, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). The PUBG intellectual property (IP) has become a significant revenue source for Krafton. The company has been actively expanding the PUBG IP through various game versions, including PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile India. According to Krafton's first-quarter results, revenue from PUBG's PC, console, and mobile IP grew by 14% and 30%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
A Krafton marketing representative at the PUBG Seongsu event stated, "As we celebrate eight years since the launch of PUBG Mobile, we recognize the importance of communicating with long-time players. This offline experience zone was prepared to enhance that communication with our users."
Krafton's collaboration with Kia for the 8th anniversary of PUBG Mobile reflects this focus. The PUBG games, including PUBG Mobile, fall under the open-world shooting genre. In PUBG Mobile, players navigate vehicles such as cars, buses, and motorcycles into a shrinking magnetic field, which is a key gameplay element. Krafton has brought this experience outside the game by incorporating vehicles into the offline pop-up.
This marks the first collaboration between PUBG Mobile and a domestic automotive brand. The Kia vehicles featured in the offline experience zone include the EV3, EV4, and PV5 models. These vehicles represent Kia's EV lineup and serve as key objects in the collaboration, showcasing vehicle skins from the game.
Previously, PUBG Mobile collaborated with global automotive brands like Porsche. This partnership allows Kia to present its electric vehicle lineup to a younger gaming audience, while PUBG Mobile integrates real vehicles into its game world, enhancing the realism of the collaborative content.
Located near Ttukseom Station, the Kia Unplugged Ground is designed with a 'combat zone' concept. The layout includes EV landing, item farming, EV4 RC car racing, and a laser battle zone, allowing visitors to experience in-game activities such as parachuting, shooting, and item hunting. Kia's EV3, EV4, PV5 vehicles, RC cars, and parachute figures are arranged like game objects to seamlessly expand the experience of Kia's EV lineup.
The pop-up zone at PUBG Seongsu, located about a seven-minute walk away, features a realistic representation of the magnetic field, allowing for an immersive PUBG Mobile experience. It includes a large blue dome air dome, an in-circle challenge, a direct play zone for PUBG Mobile, a puzzle zone (8UZZLE), and a message wall. Visitors to the experience zone enjoyed activities such as navigating obstacles to avoid the magnetic field or test-driving Kia vehicles set up within the air dome.
While the Kia Unplugged Ground focuses on in-game content experiences like shooting and farming, PUBG Seongsu emphasizes creating a photo zone where visitors can explore the game environment and take pictures.
According to Krafton, the primary user demographic for PUBG Mobile is in their teens and twenties, which is younger compared to the 2030 age group that predominantly plays the PC version of PUBG. The decision to operate an experiential zone in Seongsu reflects the preferences of this younger audience.
At the PUBG Seongsu craft zone, users could create maps directly on their smartphones. In the actual PUBG Mobile game, players can create their own maps, a feature that was not available at the game's launch in 2018 but has been introduced by Krafton to enhance user-generated content (UGC) for long-term engagement.
A representative at the site explained, "As the service period for PUBG Mobile has extended, we have attempted to expand the in-game experience through UGC content."
A Krafton spokesperson stated, "This collaboration is designed to allow users to experience PUBG Mobile not only through in-game content but also through community events and offline pop-ups. We hope that users will continue to engage with PUBG Mobile through these immersive experiences."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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